"It required all claimants to submit documentation of their poverty to a court of record. If Freeman is the same man "on command" with Scammell, he undoubtedly fought at Yorktown. Even in Washingtons home ofVirginia, Blacksoldiers fought in Virginia units. Washington wrote to fellow Continental general Philip Schuyler that The Oneidas and Tuscaroras have a particular claim to attention and kindness, for their perseverance and fidelity. These warriors arrived atValley Forge on May 15, 1778. Valley Forge was not the darkest hour of the Revolutionary War; it was a place where an already accomplished group of professionals stood their ground, honed their craft, and thwarted one of the major British offensives of the war. There is no pension file relating to Frederick because he was not married and did not have any minor children or aged parents dependant upon him for support. /Artifact <>BDC Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. NARA M804, page 4, via Fold3.com. Historical and Military Criticism, with Topographical Illustration (New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1876), 336. By the end of 1818, the program cost nearly $2 million.[7]. [2] A preliminary study of pension records from 1981 found that of 13,500 Revolutionary War veterans, more than half (54 percent) had moved from their home state after the war. [24] Judith L. Van Buskirk, Standing In Their Own Light: African American Patriots in the American Revolution (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017), 118. Despite the questions surrounding Freeman's life, it is certain that he dedicated years of his life in the fight for a new nation. No Quarter Given This series of battles and Nixon's presence in New York starting in July further support the idea that Freeman served at Saratoga and not Brandywine and witnessed a pivotal turning point in the American Revolution. [22] If Freeman settled at camp with men who fought at Monmouth, he would have heard conversations about the battle. [15] Town records 1685-1779 Billerica, Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, Middlesex County, Image 598, via FamilySearch.org. in American History and also has a B.A. (*(%8H8c- fd9@6_IjH9(3=DR1%? ET Officers and men alike were badly supplied and unpaid. Fought in one day, on June 28, 1778, the Battle of Monmouth resulted in no clear victory for either Washington's troops or the British. f WebThe Marylanders also fought at the Battle of Monmouth (June 1778). You can browse these by regiment. For those covering the date of the Battle of Waterloo you can also search by an individuals name. From 1816 to 1856, the musters are principally of the Royal Corps of Sappers and Miners, and list only NCOs and other ranks. The two merged in 1856, as the Royal Engineers After the war, many Blacksgave their pensions and enlistment bounties to their former masters as a payment for their freedom. WebFeversham learnt of Monmouth's march eastwards on the afternoon of June 26 and ordered all the Royal forces and militia to muster at Bath. Physicians and Surgeons with Washington at Valley Forge. 1 0 obj <> endobj 2 0 obj <>stream What follows are two stories presented as part of a possible whole: one of a man named Fortune Conant, who served for three years from 1777-1780, and disappeared after his discharge, and another about a man named Fortune Freeman, who claimed to have served the entirety of the war, struggled to live a life in the new nation in New York City, and ultimately died in poverty. 1393, issued by the State of Massachusetts Bay, for the sum of 247 pounds and 10 pence, in favor of Fortune Conant: dated January 1, 1780: date for maturity: March 1, 1785. Where did he come from? What would a desperately poor man claim to guarantee financial relief? wG xR^[ochg`>b$*~ :Eb~,m,-,Y*6X[F=3Y~d tizf6~`{v.Ng#{}}jc1X6fm;'_9 r:8q:O:8uJqnv=MmR 4 WebNOTE: The following information was transcribed from the original Muster Roll held at the National Archives and Records Aministration, College Park, MD. WebBattle of Monmouth, also called Battle of Monmouth Court House, (June 28, 1778), indecisive engagement in the American Revolution, fought at Monmouth, New Jersey. New Jersey Regiments in the Continental Army In February 1781, the unit merged with the 2nd Rhode Island. War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815 Standing shoulder to shoulder, anethnically diverse soldiery formed. Arriving to the court with merely the clothes on his back, Freeman provided few details about his personal life in his statement. 1850. There is, however, a "Fortune Conant" who enlisted in Elijah Danforth's company in 1777. (2007). Landing in Boston in July 1774, the 38th found themselves involved in the first military engagement of the American war: Concord and Lexington, April 1775. The Continental Army was primed and ready to move on to the next level just as a charismatic former Prussian army officer, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben, arrived in camp in February 1778. [36] "Alexander Scammell," The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, https://www.socnh.org/alexander-scammell/. Whether there of his own volition or brought to the court by a city official, it remains unclear, but Freeman, "extremely poor"[1] and unable to work, swore to the court that he served as a soldier in the Revolution, and applied for a veteran's pension for some relief. Women followed the army to be with their husbands and contributed actively to the cause. Mifflins Division|2nd Pennsylvania Brigade| 5th Pennsylvania Regiment. Webbefore the battle of Sedgemoor. Civil War and Interregnum soldiers 1642-1660 9.1 General When he needed financial assistance, he turned to the new country he served for help. [12] Henry Allen Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register (Boston: A Williams & Co, 1887), 25. )U!$5X3/9 ($5j%V*'&*r" (,!!0b;C2( I8/ In 1777, British strategy included a plan to capture Philadelphia, the patriot capital. In the spring of 1818, an old man named Fortune Freeman appeared before the Mayor's Court of New York City. [40] Fortune Freeman, Pension No. Ceys, Danforth - Dean, Samuel, Muster rolls (index file cards) of the Revolutionary War, 1767-1833 [Massachusetts], Image 1193, via FamilySearch.org. As wintry weather approached, armies often withdrew to fixed camps. /Artifact <>BDC of soldiers who served in Massachusetts companies and regiments during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. [18] Fortune Freeman, Pension No. Muster Battle of Monmouth National Archives "Politics and Public Culture: The Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818." NARA M853, page 64, via Fold3.com. [44] United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872, Vol. WebBattle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778 Wyoming Valley Massacre, July 3, 1778 Battle of Rhode Island, Aug. 29, 1778 Tryon's Attack upon New Haven, etc., July 5-10, 1779 Storming of Stony Point, July 15, 1779 Sullivan's Indian Raid, July-Aug., 1779 Battle of Springfield, N. J., June 23, 1780 Affair of Fort George, N. Y., Oct. 11, 1780 Retrieved 29 May 2006. Following this amendment, Freeman reapplied. A muster roll of 34 Creek Indians who arrived Jan. 27th, 1852. Muster rolls and officer commissions are recorded in: 1. The Baron inspired a relish for the trade of soldiering that gave the troops a new sense of purpose and helped sustain them through many trials as they stuck to the task of securing independence. It appears that Freeman, presumably because of his lengthy combat and campaign experience, is listed as "on command" with a Colonel Alexander Scammel, who led a New Hampshire regiment. [3] WebCountless hours were spent scouring muster rolls, hospital records, and other primary source documents in an effort to identify the soldiers. When word arrived that General John Burgoyne and his men began to march into New York from Canada, Nixon's regiment received orders to support General Horatio Gates and the Northern Department, serving the area of New York north of New York City. 32, Image 99, via FamilySearch.org. in the service of the United States Commanded by William Shepard for the Month of September 1781, Muster/payrolls, and various papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. An advanced force of some 4,000 American troops was allocated to attack the marching British Army and cut it in half. Muster Rolls Others, born free, joined and fought for home, country, and a hope to get any financial footing in life. Medieval and early modern soldiers S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Promises of freedom motivated thousands of enslaved African Americans to join Continental and British forces. Old, destitute, and with little else to rely upon, Freeman sought financial assistance from the country he served for nearly six long years. By summer, Washington could claim that the war effort was going well. The British surrender at Saratoga brought the French into the war as American allies in February 1778. Phill graduated from George Mason University with a M.A. While encamped at Valley Forge, General Washington asked for a delegation of Oneida and Tuscarora warriors sent to his army. McGuire, Thomas J. WebBattles of the American Revolution Series: Volume V. At Monmouth Courthouse in east-central New Jersey, General Washington's Continental Army came of age. Only one of these precious few records remained in his possession when he approached the court: a discharge paper from the 4th Massachusetts, issued to him at the close of the Revolutionary War in 1783. WebMuster Roll of Captain Richard Lloyd's Company, Colonel Hazen's Regiment, August, 1778. battle [15] Freeman may have recalled Danforth easily as a familiar name to him in his younger days. "[35] Composed of men from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, the regiment marched South to Yorktown, engaging in skirmishes along the way, and served as part of the 2nd brigade of The Light Infantry Division during the Siege of Yorktown.[36]. Later muster rolls state that Fortune Conant officially enlisted in the Continental Army a few weeks later on June 4, 1777. Taking up positions along Brandywine Creek, Washington mistakenly believed that his army blocked all fords across the Brandywine. British Army muster rolls and pay lists c.1730-1898 - The National NARA M881, page 4, via Fold3.com. Muster Rolls From free and enslaved Blacks, to Native Americans, native born colonists, to foreign recruits, Washington's integrated army was a diverse and unique fighting force for a longand grueling eight-year war. Did he feel a sense of pride in the idea of independence? Download the official NPS app before your next visit, https://blogs.brandeis.edu/revolutions/2013/12/10/the-many-lives-of-fortune-freeman/, https://revolutionarywar.us/continental-army/massachusetts/, https://www.loc.gov/collections/george-washington-papers/articles-and-essays/timeline/the-american-revolution/, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-03961, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05812, https://www.socnh.org/alexander-scammell/, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-07314, https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6129qv4. Included in their ranksof2,400were approximately 120 Black militiamen, including Peter Salem. The main military force, which coalesced under General George Washington as the Continental Army, was not an integrated army until 1776. 48, Image 88, via FamilySearch.org. The Battle of Monmouth was fought on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Major General Charles Lee commanded 12,000 men of the Continental Army under the leadership of General George Washington. For the British, General Sir Henry Clinton commanded 11,000 men under the leadership of Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis. (file:///M|/highpoint/webdocs/state/darm/darm2011/guides/guides%20for%20p\ df/sdea1004.html)Tj We were unable to find any birth record for Fortune Conant. Leavened by If Freeman declared or received his freedom during the war, he most likely did not have a home of his own to return to. State Board of Charities," Social Networks and Archival Context, https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6129qv4. According to the surviving records, though, Fortune Conant served with Nixon's regiment in the late summer and fall of 1777. The Battle of Monmouth Second Continental Light Dragoons "[16] Perhaps these recruitment efforts helped Fortune Freeman remember Danforth's name so many decades later. In his pension application, Fortune Freeman asserted his presence at several well-known and significant battles during the Revolutionary War. At some point, probably in 1778, Carr was promoted to lieutenant. Although "sadly in want of clothing" the brigade participated in the battle of Monmouth. [19] Nixon's men comprised part of the main body of Gates' men during the September 19 Battle of Freeman's Farm and continued the campaign through the next month. Samuel Carhart's men, Monmouth County, 1780 and 1781 388 9-months men, Monmouth County 1778; Col. Forman's return, Fourth Regiment [no date]; and 9 Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. He stated that he continued to serve in the same regiment until his honorable discharge in 1783. [43] "New York (State). It is highly unlikely that Freeman saw action both at the battles of Brandywine and Saratoga: The battles took place hundreds of miles apart and only a few weeks separated them. Muster Rolls [5] John P. Resch. Hb``$WR~|@T#2S/`M. [21] "The American Revolution Timeline," George Washington Papers, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/collections/george-washington-papers/articles-and-essays/timeline/the-american-revolution/. The Muster Rolls are neatly typed pages tightly bound in oversized books which require the use of a special overhead copying process. Left Valley Forge with 306 assigned, 194 fit for duty. Records only give us a part of someones life, and sometimes they are misremembered, forgotten, or incomplete. 12th pennsylvania regiment revolutionary war Yet, they were present at every engagement and shivered through every winter. Index card abstracts of accounts, muster and pay rolls, descriptive lists and accounts, etc. WebThis Revolutionary War Militia Arrangement provides a breakdown of the battalions and companies raised in each county and the names of the commanding officers.
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